This relates to communication networks, and more particularly, to using a controller to control network traffic associated with network address assignment in a network.
Packet-based networks such as the internet and local data networks that are connected to the internet include network switches. Network switches are used in forwarding packets from packet sources to packet destinations. The packets may be sometimes referred to as frames.
It can be difficult or impossible to control the switches of one vendor using the equipment of another vendor. This is because the switch equipment of one vendor may use a different operating system and set of control procedures than the switch equipment of another vendor. To address the challenges associated with controlling different types of switch platforms, cross-platform protocols have been developed. These protocols allow centralized control of otherwise incompatible switches.
Cross-platform controller clients can be included on the switches in a network. The controller clients are able to communicate with a corresponding controller server over network paths. Because the controller clients can be implemented on a variety of switch hardware, it is possible for a single controller to control switch equipment that might otherwise be incompatible.
End hosts in the network may communicate by sending network packets through the switches. Each of the network packets has packet header fields that include source Internet Protocol (IP) address information and/or other protocol address information. The source IP address information of a given network packet identifies which end host sent that network packet. To communicate with other end hosts, each end host must first obtain a corresponding IP address from the network. The network may include one or more servers that distribute IP addresses to end hosts in the network. The servers can distribute IP addresses using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). To obtain an IP address, an end host floods the network with DHCP discovery request packets that may reach every other end host in the network. DHCP servers that receive the discovery request can reply with a DHCP offer packet that informs the end host of an available IP address for the end host to use. The end host may accept an available IP address from among the DHCP offer packets by flooding the network with a DHCP offer request packet that informs the DHCP servers which of the offered IP address was accepted by the end host.
Flooding of a network to send DHCP requests can undesirably load the network with unnecessary network traffic because the DHCP requests can be sent to end hosts that are not DHCP servers. The forwarding of unnecessary DHCP requests can impact performance of switches in the network. It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved arrangements for performing address assignment to end hosts in a network.